Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Hyundai Elantra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT. The contact stated that the instrument panel software was previously replaced by an independent mechanic as the instrument cluster lights were inoperative. The contact stated while her daughter was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a hole in the engine block. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The manufacturer offered to cover a percent of the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, he looked in the rearview mirror and noticed that the trunk of the vehicle was open. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he was unable to lock the trunk using the lever on the front seat, key fob, or the button on the trunk door. The contact continued driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the next availability would be in February 2023. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
My fuel pump comes up and my check engine light saying that it needs to be replaced when I fill up my car it automatically resets my mileage for AAA and trippy and it will tell me that I have no gas even though I just filled up or it will say I'm full when I know I'm empty so it's not reliable. It comes and goes. And then for an electrical issue my Car will randomly stop working and then like come back up and it was underneath the positive plug. there is a clip that someone had to extend because it was too short and causing electrical surges so it's still a problem if I go over a bump it gets loose so that clip under the positive terminal I believe is loose and makes my car shut off in the middle of driving at once and then it came right back on
Just driving down the road and the drivers side front window fell down. I tried to push the switch for to make it go lback up because it was windy and rainy. It just made the window drop down more. I was wondering if anyone else has had this complaint . It's pulled back up and taped but it won't go back up and tape keeps coming loose. It's expensive to fix . I also fixed my trunk latch which was on a recall because when I called the dealer at that time there was no recall on it. I was stuck at Walmart and it wouldn't close. The dealer wanted over 700 to fix trunk latch so I bought the part to fix it but I am checking to see if anyone else has complained on the window motor .
My Elantra stalled while driving twice the other day. The first time I occurred on a Highway inter belt and the second occurred in slow moving traffic. I had the car evaluated by 2 different repair shops. Both said they could not reduplicate the problem or find any malfunctioning codes. No warning lights appeared when the car stalled. I had this happen before last fall. I had it repaired. They changed spark plugs, performed engine oil system purge, serviced fuel injector and air induction and realigned tires. Until the day before yesterday, the car performed well. In researching my car issue, I have learned that this is a top complaint of many 2016 Elantra owners.
My Hyundai Elantra started completely shutting off while I was driving. This happened on multiple occasions like in slow traffic and while going high speeds on the highway. This is scary and dangerous when my toddler child is in the car. I took it to 3 different mechanics and no one can find any codes or anything wrong with it---but it continues to happen and put my life and my daughters life at risk. I have seen so many people complaining of the same thing--but nothing has happened? This last dealership has had my car for 3 weeks (and counting) but still cannot find the issue. I have about 125,000 miles on the car.
Clockspring Failure. 2016 hyundai elantra, 123k miles. Airbag light on, horn does not function. Likely unavailable for inspection due to being replaced soon. Inability to use horn to alert reckless drivers swerving into my lane. Airbag will not deploy if needed in an accident. The dealership seemed aware that the clocksprings go out in Hyundai's and is confident this is the issue. Warning lamp prior/at the same time as the horn stopped working.
Engine Code: P0335 Crankshaft Position Sensor 'A' Circuit Severe Issue Consequences of Continued Driving - Rough running - possible Misfire - May not start In my case I was at work and it wouldn't start at all. It ended up having to be towed. Had the battery tested and it was fine then I bought a "FIXD" sensor and it told me the problem
I was driving my vehicle damages stop accelerating the check engine light battery light and all light all came on in a vehicle just came to a complete stop and did not let me restart the vehicle. This has happened to me a second time.
Electrical complaints in other Elantra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2016 Hyundai Elantra?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the electrical system of the 2016 Hyundai Elantra, 8% of the model year's 300 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Hyundai Elantra electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2016 Hyundai Elantra, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2016 Hyundai Elantra electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles, and 27% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.